Ambient temperature has little or no bearing on what constant temp the engine runs at - the thermostat does. The engine will run at about 200 or so in DC in August, Saudi Arabia in July, or Alaska in January (it will take a while longer to warm up there, though).

"Normal" on your car is with the gauge needle exactly at 12 o'clock: That covers from 188 to about 210 degrees. Stuck in traffic with no A/C on, it will head for the first tick past 12 o'clock, fans will go to SLOW and the temp will come back to close to 12 o'clock. That's "Normal" too. With A/C on, fans run in slow all the time, so the gauge needle should sit at just about 12 o'clock, maybe one hair past. That's "Normal" too.

Maybe i'm confused, with AC off its normal to go to first tick but with AC on out should hover around 12 right.

Re: Hot Northstar - Please help !

Originally Posted by sts 03

With a/c on the fans run all of the time and the needle should stay around 12 maybe a hair past with AC off in trafficthe needle can climb to the first tick then the fans kick on so the temps can go back down.so that sounds like to me if I keep the AC on which keeps the fans on the needle will stay at 12 maybe a hair past.

Exactly true. ^^^

Stop obsessing over the fact that a temperature gauge might move a little bit. Drive the car.

FWIW, If I have been out driving here and there with no A/C set - window and sunroof vented - I'll stop at the mailbox and hop out with the car in P. The temp on the ScanGauge will be about 196. Hop in and idle down the road to home for 0.3 mile...... by the time I shut the car off in the garage the temp is 207 to 215. Normal.

Re: Hot Northstar - Please help !

Originally Posted by sts 03

Maybe i'm confused, with AC off its normal to go to first tick but with AC on out should hover around 12 right.

YES ^^^ (in traffic)

I have issued you an open invitation to come over here - a screaming 35 miles - on several occasions. We can play with the cars, experiment, maybe learn something. You'll see first hand when cooling fans run and when they don't.............

I do still want to come, i've been working six days a week now since my wifes job went out of business.I know the needle moves a little bit but mine went to the first tick which is 230 degrees which some say isn't normal and others say not to worry.

Ok my car didnt do this before but while diving on the highway no traffic I'll do a couple wot and the temp will go a couple of needle widths is that normal to do while on the highway with no traffic? I know its not running Hot but never seen it rises while driving on the highway.it didn't go back to the middle till I parked.

That's what I thought like I said I don't have the splash shield/air deflector on the bottom of the car (it came like that) but it never did this before.it didn't start to recently.what would should I look at.I changed the thermostat and cap which it hasn't gone to the next tic yet but it got close to it.but on the highway no traffic it will go up some.should I start my own thread on this issue?

FWIW, when I got my car back from the engine replacement/stud job, that lower shield/tray/air deflector was not installed, and didn't get installed until a few weeks ago (I needed to buy the clips, but kept forgetting). We've had a few heat waves here, and I've noticed no coolant temperature difference with the deflector installed (and my needle migrates slightly past 12:00 regularly). That said, I'd still pick one up and install it.

I'm wondering if the wp belt could be slipping at higher rpm's ,I can grab the belt and wiggle it .how hard is it to try to tighten it ? Do I have to adjust the tension pully? Plus its been very Hot here.like right now i've been driving around d.c for 30 minutes with all the lights and traffic and the last 15_20 minutes i've been sitting in idle with AC on and its 100 degrees out side and the needle hasn't moved of 12 position but if I go on the highway and do a couple wot the temp will go up some and stay like that even driving on the highway with no traffic.it usually goes a couple of needle widths.

Re: Hot Northstar - Please help !

No play.

Belt and tensioner pulley at a NAPA or local comprehensive parts store - not Dead Zone - maybe AAP.

Pop the hood. Get your metric socket set. Remove the entire air intake ducting all the way to the air filter adapter. Remove the two 10mm nuts and the 10mm bolt that hold the water pump drive safety cover to the crossover. Play with the belt - loose ??? Now you're working in tight quarters. Use a 13mm (??) socket on the tensioner pulley center bolt and release the arm tension, (plenty of tension ??) flip off the belt. Play with the pulley - does it feel 'viscous" with no rattles or looseness ?? Good. What does the belt look like ?? Cracks, chunks missing ? replace it - using magic words and a strong light, work the belt out around the water pump pulley. Replace it. If the pulley is suspect, a new one is $24 at NAPA or AAP. Remove the center bolt and replace the pulley. If you want, the two studs that the drive safety cover came off of are studs - they go through the crossover casting and thread into the mounting plate for the whole tensioner arm assembly. You'll need to pull those to replace the whole tensioner, about $60.

Pictures in my albums.

remember: NO loose clamps in that MAF and air duct to the throttlebody.